Poorly Yapton tot denied his remedy by Sainsbury’s staff

Alex O’Connor, 21, of Cobham Close, Yapton, took what she thought would be a routine trip to Sainsbury’s, in Littlehampton, to buy a bottle of Calpol cough medicine.

However, she was left dumbfounded after staff at the supermarket, in High Street, refused to serve her because she didn’t have any authentic proof-of-age with her.

“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” said Alex. “I thought it was a joke.

“I could understand if I was buying a bottle of vodka or a packet of cigarettes, but this was a small bottle of Calpol for my ill, two-and-a-half-year-old.

“It was completely ridiculous. Surely it’s common sense.”

Alex said that an alarm at the self-service check-out she was using sounded, when she attempted to purchase the cough medicine and that a female member of staff came over to inspect the situation.

She then asked the perplexed mum of one for a valid form of identification.

After not being able to produce one, Alex pleaded with the staff member, saying that the cough medicine was for her sick son and that, because she was only buying Calpol, she didn’t think she would need any identification.

However, when the staff member refused to serve her, a frustrated Alex asked why she needed her driving licence. She was told that it was company policy to ask for it, for any restricted items, when serving anyone who looked under the age of 25.

Alex said: “It was such a heavy-handed approach and totally unnecessary. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, it’s hardly like I went in there to go and get high, I just wanted to help my little boy. I stormed out and went to Boots to buy the Calpol. The pharmacist there said it was absolutely bonkers.”

Alex now wants the supermarket chain to rethink the way it enforces its identification age policy and to use more “common sense” when approaching individuals.

A spokeswoman from Sainsbury’s said: “We take our role as a responsible retailer very seriously.

“In common with other retailers, we operate a “Think 25” policy for all age-restricted products, including some medications.

“This means that an authorisation alarm is sounded when an age-restricted product is scanned and then a colleague is required to request proof of age if the customer looks under 25.

“In this instance, we’re sorry the customer left our Littlehampton store without the product she was seeking. The colleague involved acted in accordance with our policy, however we have taken her feedback on board and we are looking into whether Calpol should continue to be included on the list of age-restricted products.”